London now officially has more 24-hour gyms than 24-hour clubs

We regret to inform you that London has officially become boring. It’s been revealed that Londoners are now more obsessed with working out at all hours of the day than they are interested in having a night out, as the city has more 24-hour gyms than it does 24-hour night clubs and bars. 

Analysis by BBC London found that only 58 bars and nightclubs in the capital have 24 hour licences, down from 183 in 2021, meaning late venues have fallen by two thirds in the past three years. Meanwhile, London could have as many as 300 gyms with 24-hour licences. 

The BBC spoke to Deonne Andrews, group general manager at 1Rebel, a high-end gym chain that has popular spin classes that replicate a nightclub – think lights, pumping music and even a smoke machine. ‘The lighting, the vibe, the music... it's like you're having a whole party on a bike,’ Andrews said. 

‘We're busy throughout the year,’ she added. 

London may be a 24-hour-city to gym bunnies, but for nightlife it’s a different story. 

Michael Kill, chief executive of the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA), told the BBC that it’s becoming harder for London venues to attain 24-hour licences. ‘Not being able to get home post-midnight midweek has been a real challenge,’ he said.

‘There are 24-hour licences that don’t operate within those hours, and that's based on the fact that if the infrastructure's not there to keep people safe and get people home, then they're not going to be supported by the market.

‘Becoming a 24-hour city is more than just intimating we're going in that direction. I think it’s an involvement of a multitude of stakeholders – transport, developers, policing – all that needs to be on board.’

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